William burnley bust



(No Model.)

w. B. BUST. GAME APPARATUS.

No. 539,346. Patented May 14,1895.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFF-Ion.

'WILLIAM BURNLEY BUST, OF DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,346, dated May 14, 1895.

Application filed November 8, 1894:- Serial No. 528,210. (No'model-l T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,WILLIAM BURNLEY BUST, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Dunedin, in the county of Otago and Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved game apparatus, and Fig. 2an end elevation of the same.

My invention pertains to improvements in game apparatus and its object is to provide a novel, attractive and inexpensive device adapted to afford an entertaining and innocent pastime for families and social circles.

The game is entitled the sheep pen and consists essentially of an inclined plane or roadway up which the sheep (represented by marbles) are driven one by one, and assembled in an inclosed pen adjoining the summit suitable dimensions near one end of which is attached a block 2, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper surface of the block has a slight downward inclination, from front to rear, and is inclosed by a fence 3, forming the sheep pen. A portion of the upper front of the block is cut away to form a support for a two way inclined roadway or trough 4, the longer limb of which extends upwardly from the farther end of the platform A to the front edge of the sheep pen. The other limb extends downwardly from the same point.

A portion of the inner wall of the inclined trough is removed, forming an opening or gateway leading into the pen. The apex formed at the junction of the two limbs of the roadway is partly cut away and flattened in such a manner as toproduce a slight downward inclination toward the floor of the pen and corresponds to the plane thereof as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the game will be readily of the longer limb of the trough where it rests against and projects partly through a wire stop 5 which is firmly fixed in the floor of the platform A. The marble is driven up the roadway by a gentle blow of the mallet 6. It is obvious that if the impetus thus imparted be too feeble the marble will stop short of the summit of the roadway and return to the starting point. If on the other hand, theimpulse be too great, the marble will be driven past the gateway of the pen. In either event the player fails to count and must give place to another. The skillful player aims to regulate the force of the blow so that the impulse will barely suffice to carry the marble to the summit where it will be attracted by gravitation and descend laterally through the gateway into the pen. The player who in turn, succeeds in driving the highest number of sheep into the pen is the winner of the game.

The block 2 may have a cavity to contain themarbles when not in use.

What I claim as new is In a game apparatus the combination with the rectangular platform A, the block 2, having its upper surface inclined from front to rear, cutaway at the front upper end, and the three sided fence secured to the upper side of-the block, of the double inclined trough cut away at the apex on the inner side forming a gateway, and the stop at the front end of said trough, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, this 20th day of September, 1894, in the presence of witnesses.

WILLIAM .IoHN WEST, VICTOR GEORGE CAVANAGH. 

